Gender Roles In The House On Mango Street

In Sandra Cisneros' book "The House on Mango Street," women face many conflicts that are rooted in their social and cultural identity. Three characters that showcase these conflicts are Esperanza, Sally, and Marin. Esperanza, the protagonist of the book, grapples with the idea of leaving Mango Street and finding her own identity as a writer. As a young Latina girl, she faces the pressure of adhering to traditional gender roles and societal expectations, which creates conflict within her. She struggles with the fear of being trapped in Mango Street, just like the other women in her community, and wants to break free from this cycle of oppression. All three characters face conflicts related to their gender and the expectations placed upon them

She is a young girl who is forced to marry at a young age, to a man who abuses her physically and emotionally. Sally faces the conflict of being trapped in a marriage she did not choose and in a situation where she is unable to leave. She is constantly reminded of her lack of control over her life and the abuse she experiences in her marriage, which ultimately takes a toll on her mental and emotional health. This conflict highlights the power dynamics within marriage and the lack of agency that women often face in patriarchal societies. ”Sally got married like we knew she would, young and not ready but married just the same. She met a marshmallow salesman at

For example Esperanza is the protagonist of the book and a young Latina girl growing up in a poor neighborhood in Chicago. She struggles with the conflict of wanting to escape her neighborhood and the societal expectations placed upon her as a Latina girl. She dreams of a life beyond Mango Street and the limitations of her gender and race, but is often held back by the patriarchal culture of her community. ”Why did you leave me all alone? I waited my whole life. You’re a liar. They all lied. All the books and magazines, everything that told it wrong. Only his dirty fingernails against my skin, only his sour smell again. The moon that watched. The tilt-a-whirl. The red clowns laugh their thick-tongued laugh”. In this quote Esperanza tries to deal with the fallout of being sexually assaulted at a carnival. Before the assault, Esperanza agreed to meet Sally there, but Sally left with a boy and never showed up and a group of boys overpowered Esperanza as she waited alone. After the attack, she drowns in anger at Sally and all the lies she has been told about romance. Cisneros, 1983, ch